The Impact
2024-2025
1360 students
DASHville - 700
2025-2026
2030 students
DASHville - 950
Paint Challenge - 210
Transit Art - 450
22 schools
DASHville - 13
Paint Challenge - 5
Transit Art - 6
9 afterschool programs
DASHville - 9
Paint Challenge - 80
Transit Art - 850
Advocacy Podcast - 150
25 schools
DASHville - 15
Paint Challenge - 3
Transit Art - 12
Advocacy Podcast- 4
9 afterschool programs
DASHville - 9
Transit Art - 1
Advocacy Podcast- 1
2025-26 participating schools
Schools
Alex Green Elementary
Antioch Middle School
Chadwell Elementary School
Croft Middle Design Center
East Nashville Middle School
Goodlettsville Middle School
HG Hill Middle School
Isaac Litton Middle
IT Creswell Middle School
Jere Baxter Middle School
JF Kennedy Middle School
KIPP Antioch Global High School
KIPP Nashville Collegiate High School
LEAD Academy High School
LEAD Cameron Middle School
Madison Middle School
McMurray Middle School
Meigs Middle School
Neely's Bend K-8 School
Richard H. Dinkins Middle School
Ruby Major Elementary
Two Rivers Middle School
Whitsitt Elementary School
William Henry Oliver Middle School
Wright Middle School
Afterschool Programs
AYES (HG Hill)
CASE (Jere Baxter)
CASE (LEAD Neely’s Bend)
Coleman Community Center
Martha O’Bryan Center (Explore! Community School)
Martha O'Bryan Center (Isaac Litton)
Northwest YMCA
Old Hickory Community Center
YCAP
*Returning schools/afterschool programs from 2024-25
Students work within a budget to design and build a scale model of a sustainable and affordable house for a given client. The students work in teams with roles modeled after real world careers. 2025-26
950students
24locations
47workshops
Elementary:13 Middle:18 High:6 Afterschool:10
Affordable housing is important for youth my age in Nashville.
Sustainable housing is important as we think about the future.
Youth my age have the power to make our neighborhood a better place.
I want to spend time making my neighborhood a better place.
I know about careers related to design and building.
I am interested in a career related to design and building.
% of youth responded “Agree” or “Strongly Agree” before and after participating in the workshop
Featured houses
PAint challenge
Students identify a pedestrian safety issue in their school zone and design a solution that incorporates artwork. Then, they paint the solution.
80 students
3 schools East Nashville Middle IT Creswell Middle McMurray Middle Coordination with NDOT
Volunteersinaction
from vision to reality
neighborhood advocacy podcast
Students
Wright Middle
city cast nashville
After participating in the Neigborhood Advocacy Podcast project, students from Isaiah T. Creswell Middle School Of The Arts and Wright Middle School were invited to be guests on the City Cast Nashville episode “These Middle Schoolers Want To Design a Better Nashville.” During the episode, these students share their unique perspectives on transportation and affordable housing and how they would plan our city differently if they were in charge.
Listen to the city cast Nashville episode here: https://nashville.citycast.fm/podcasts/these-middle-schoolers-want-to-design-a-better-nashville
listen to all of our 2025-26 podcasts here: https://youth.civicdesigncenter.org/middle-school/student-workarchive/25-26-advocacy-podcasts
Transit art
Students consider the benefits that public transit and public art can have for a community. Then, they explore the identity of their neighborhood to inspire the creation of a mural for a bus stop bench. Winning pieces of artwork are placed on bus stop benches in the school’s neighborhood.
50 students 2 schools afterschool rogram
50 benches
Public transportation is important for youth my age in Nashville.
CroftMiddleDesignCenter
GoodlettsvilleMiddleSchool
HGHillMiddle
IsaacLittonMiddleSchool
ITCreswellMiddle
JFKennedyMiddle
LEADAcademyHigh
LEADCameronMiddle
MadisonMiddleSchool
MeigsMiddleSchool
% of youth responded “Agree” or “Strongly Agree” before and after participating in the project
Public art is important to a neighborhood.
Neely’sBendK-8
TwoRiversMiddle busbench Locations
https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit? mid=1cehrNhWI1t9XG5ad7RoAmPHzhhd M02I&usp=sharing See all the locations here:
